Signaling apparatus.



No. 7|o,320. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

- H. 'A. FESSENDEN. SIGNALING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Sept. 6 1901.) (No Model.)

' in: man's warms cu. Puma-Mme" WASHINGTON. n. c.

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD A. FESSENDEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DETROIT ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A PARTNERSHIP.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,320, dated September 30, 1902.

Application filed September 6,1901- Serial No. 741579- (No model) T (635 whom it y OOYWBYW protected from dirt and injury by a glass Beitknown thatI, HOWARD A.FESSENDEN, plate G. a citizen of the United States, residing at De- H is an annular flange extending about the troit, in the county ofVVayne and State of exterior of thecasing, havingnotchesIfoi-med 5 Michigan, have invented certain new and usein its periphery opposite to the signal indiful Improvements in Signaling Apparatus, of cations marked upon the dial, the function which the following is a specification, referof the notches being hereinafter set forth. ence being had therein to the accompanying Arranged centrally within the casing and drawings. jourualed for rotary movement within a 10 The invention relates particularly to elecframework J is a shaft K, which extends triosignalsystemsofthatclass whereinanumthrough the'glass plate in the manner indiber of distinct signals may be sent from one cated and carries at its outer free end a signalstation to and indicated at another and the operating device, preferably in the form of transmitted signal returned and indicated at an operating-arm L. Looselysleeved upon 15 the sending-station, whereby the sender-is inthe shaft within the casing is a circuit breaker formed that the particular signal transmitted, and closer P, includedv within the signal-cirwas properly received. cnit C, and Q is a yielding connection between The invention consists in the novel conthe shaft and the circuit breaker and closer, struction and combination of parts in a syswhich forms an operative connection between 2o tern of this type; and it further consists in the the parts and permits the arm L to be rotated peculiar construction-of a combined sending at a greaterspeed than the circuit breaker and and transmitting instrument, as more fully closer. Preferably the latterdevice consists hereinafter described,and shownin the drawofahub or, having a flange b at one end thereof ings, in whichand a disk (2 at the opposite end, the disk be- 25 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the aping provided with gear-teeth .upon its peparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of one of riphery. Secured to the flange b is a circuthe receiving and transmitting instruments. lar plate or disk e, of insulating material, Fig. 8 is a front elevation, parts being broken which carries on its periphery an annulus f, away. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the locking having notches 9 formed therein.

o mechanism for the signal-operating device, 72, and t' are two contacts forming the terand Fig. 5 is a detail view. minals of the signal-circuit O,which are adapt- In the drawings thus briefly described the ed to bear against the annulusfin the manreference-letterAdesignatesa receiving and ner indicated in Fig. 4, andj designates a transmitting instrument at the sending-staplurality of pins of insulating material ar- 5 tion, andB is a similar instrument/at the'reranged within the notched portion of the anceiving-station. r nulus, for the purpose hereinafter specified.

C is a signalcircuit between theinstru- In front of the dial referred to and mountinents, includinga circuit breaker and closer, ed for rotary movement upon a common axis hereinafter described, in-the transmitting in with the signal-operating device-via, the

4o strument and a progressively-operating sigshaftK-is an index R. The index or pointer ual in the receiving instrument. is fixed to a hub S, sleeved upon the shaft,

D is a return-signal circuit, by means of and is adapted to beactuated progressively which the transmitted message is returned by the magnet V, included within the returnand recorded upon the sending instrument. signal circuit D. The hub is preferably pro- 5 5 As the twoinstruments referred to are of like vided with an annular bearing-T and also construction, a description of one only will he carries an escapement-wheel U intermediate given. the bearing and the index. The magnet re- ,The reference-letterErepresentsasuitable ferred to is arranged within the casing becasing having therein a dial-plate F, which neath the escapement-wheel,andW is its ar- I03 50 may be provided with any ordinary or desirmature, which carries an escapement engagable signal indications, said dial-plate being ing the escapement-wheel, as shown in Fig. 2.

on the dial.

The operation of the circuit breaker and closer is controlled by the operating-arm L through the agency of stops at Z), arranged upon the shaft and disk 0, respectively, one in the path of the other. Thus the rotation of the circuit breaker and closer is limited to the extent of rotation of the operating-arm, and the signal indicated by the latter is enabled to be exactly indicated upon the dial of the indicating instrument. Also means are preferably provided for retarding the operation of the circuit breaker and closer after its actuation by the arm, so that the making and breaking of its circuit would be eifected at a speed to insure the proper operation of the index. 'The means employed comprises a pinion a journaled in the framework to engage with the teeth upon the periphery of the disk 0, an escapement-wheel b connected to the pinion, and an escapement ciwhich engages the escapement-wheel, the escapement being mounted on a suitable shaft 01 having hearings in the frame. When it is desired to send asignal, the operating device L is rotated by means of the handle Y until the arm is adjacent to the proper indication The arm is then held in this position by means of a hook Z, connected to the handle, engaging within the notch in the annular flange H, adjacent to the signal indica tion, the hook being held in engagement with the notch by means of a spring 02, connected to the hook and arm, as shown. The rotary movement of the arm operates the shaft to which it is secured, so as to wind the coiled spring Q to a greater or less extent. The circuit breaker and closer P is in turn revolved by said spring to make and break contact with the terminals h t, the movement of the breaker and closer under the influence of the spring being regulated by the escapement c and its wheel 19 The circuit is complete as long as the contact h is in engagement with the annulus f and breaks as said contact passes over the notches g and insulatingpinsj in said annulus. This successive making and breaking of the circuit correspondingly energzes the magnet V at the receiving instrument and progressively actuates, step by step, the armature escapement W and through the medium of its wheel U turns the pointer R. The sending and indicating of the signal having been thus set forth, the operation of returning and indicating the signal upon the transmitting instrument will be obvious, as the instruments are of like construction.

As a matter of precaution a ratchet connection is employed between the signal-operating device or arm and the shaft, so that the latter will not be turned in a direction to unwind a spring and break the parts of the mechanism.

The reference-letterMdesignates a ratchet block fixed to the shaft, and O is a springimpelled pin carried by the arm engaging the ratchet, the means thus described permitting of the arm being turned independent of the shaft it moved in the wrong direction. I also preferably employ a dog 0 upon the framework of each instrument adapted to engage notches d in the annulus f. The annulus is thus prevented from moving in a direction opposite to that in which it is intended to be driven.

It will be noticed from the construction of the mechanism that by mounting the index for rotation upon a common axis with the signal-operating device not only is a more simple and compact instrument obtained, but the operator is enabled to determine at a glance whether the signal transmitted was received and returned. This follows from the fact that the return signal when given causes the index on the sending instrument to move into adjacence or alinement with the signal-operating arm, so that only the arm is visible on the face of the instrument.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In asignaling apparatus,the combination with a signal-circuit including a signal adapted to operate progressively,of a circuit breaker and closer included in said circuit, an adjustable operating device for the circuit breaker and closer, and connecting instrumentalities between said operating device and said circuit breaker and closer permitting an initial movement of the operating device to the desired extent of its adjustment and a relatively reluctant corresponding movement of the circuit breaker and closer, substantially as described. 7

2. Inasignaling apparatus,the combination with a signal-circuit including a signal adapted to operate progressively,of a circuitbreaker and closer included in said circuit, an adjustable operating device for the circuit breaker and closer, connecting instrumentalities between said operating device and said circuit breaker and closer permitting an initial movement of the operating device to the desired extent of its adjustment and a relatively reluctant corresponding movement of the circuit breaker and closer, and means for retarding the operation of the circuit breaker and closer after its actuation has been eifected, substantially as described.

3. In asignaling apparatus,the combination with a signal-circuit including a signal adapted to operate progressively,of a circuitbreaker and closer included within said circuit, a signal-operating device mounted for movement into difie'rent positions of adjustment and adapted to be locked in each of its adjusted positions, a yielding operative connection between said operating device and the circuit closer and breaker and means for retarding the operation of said circuit closer and breaker after its actuation has been effected.

4. In a signaling apparatus,the combination with a signal-circuit including a signal adapted to operate progressively, of a rotatable circuit breaker and closer included within said circuit, a revoluble operating-arm adapted to actuate and control the operation of the circuit breaker and closer, a spring forming a yielding connection between the arm and said circuit breaker and closer, and a lock for re taining the arm in each of its different positions of adjustment.

5. In a signaling apparatus,the combination with a supporting-frame, of a shaft journaled therein, an operating-arm for rotating the shaft in one direction and adapted to move independently of the shaft when turned in the opposite direction, a rotatable circuit breaker and closer loosely sleeved upon the shaft and having a yielding connection with the latter, a progressively-operating signal, and a circuit including the signal and the circuit breaker and closer.

6. In asignalingapparatus,the combination with a supporting-frame, of a shaft journaled therein, an operating device for rotating the shaft in one direction, a rotatable circuit breaker and closer sleeved upon the shaft, a spring connection connecting said circuit breaker and closer with the shaft, a signal adapted to be operated progressively, and a signal-circuit including the signal and the circuit breaker and closer.

7. A signal and return-signal system, including a combined receiving and transmitting instrument provided with a dial, a shaft, an operating device in engagement with the shaft, a signal located at a point remote from said instrument, an operating device for said signal in operative communication with said shaft, an index operable independently of said shaft, and means independent of said signal-operating device for actuating said indeX, substantially as described.

8; A signal and returnsignal system including a combined receiving and transmitting instrument provided with a dial, a shaft, an operating device in engagement with the shaft, a signal located at a point remote from said instrument, an operating device for said signal in operative communication with said shaft, an index operable independently of said shaft, and magnetic devices for actuating said index, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOXVARD A. FESSENDEN. Vitnesses:

M. B. ODoeHERTY, II. B. SMITH. 

